In ecclesiastical procedure, one who prepares the acts of a trial. He is appointed by the Ordinary permanently or for a specific case, otherwise by the presiding judge (canon 1580), and is chosen from the synodal judges, or from the respective religious institute involved (canon 1581). The office consists in summoning and preeenting witnesees, preparing required judicial documents, and summarizing the acts. The auditor is never allowed to pronounce final sentence (canon 1582).